Missions and Hearts
by DrivvenWrinth
Summary: Iruka is hurt, Naruto feels guilty, and their friendship is on the brink of...what?  Naruto may come up with an idea to fix things. Yaoi boyboy fluff mostly


**This story was written at a friend request. It was originally written for her alone. She insisted I post it, so others could read it. Hope you enjoy.**

**Missions and Hearts **

It was hot in the mission office. The air was thick and humid. Sweat trickled down between Naruto's shoulder blades as he watched his friend work.

Iruka was in a bad mood. Naruto could see the tension in every movement. He'd been like this for awhile. He wouldn't talk to Naruto about it. He didn't want to put his young friend in the middle of it.

They were friends now. Iruka was finally seeing him as an equal, instead of a student. It was about time. Naruto was twenty three now and had made Jounin two years ago.

He would have reached the rank sooner, if he hadn't spent so much time away from the village, training with the uber perv or on special missions with that other perv. Images of a certain white haired sage and a silver haired special jounin came to mind. Kakashi was not someone he wanted to think about right now.

He hadn't even known Iruka and Kakashi were, well sleeping together. You couldn't call it a relationship. No, you couldn't, when you considered how emotionally bankrupt the jounin was. Naruto had been crushed when he'd found out.

Iruka was way too good for Kakashi. Everyone knew that. It wasn't that Kakashi was deliberately cold or unfeeling. He just didn't have that part of him to give. He'd already given it, and it lay in the cold dead hands of someone he could never let go of.

_Still, he knew how Iruka was and he shouldn't have even entertained the idea. He had to know Iruka would end up getting hurt. Selfish…_ That's what pissed Naruto off. Iruka was hurting. Iruka was hurting and wouldn't talk to him about it.

_He doesn't know. I know he doesn't know that I'm one of the ones Kakashi cheated on him with._ Naruto's heart clenched painfully. _If I'd have known, I never would have. I wasn't in the village, hadn't been in almost a year. I didn't know!_

He'd trade those moments of violent passion, in a heartbeat if it would take away Iruka's pain and humiliation. It wouldn't. He hadn't been the only one.

Kakashi wasn't intentionally cruel. He was cruel in the same negligent way he was always late. He just took it for granted that Iruka would understand that although he expected Iruka to be monogamous, he couldn't or wouldn't be. Iruka had taken it for granted that what was asked of him would be returned to him.

What made it worse was Kakashi was still trying to get Iruka back. Six months had passed and every chance he got, he'd be right there in Iruka's face. Rubbing salt in partially healed wounds, until they were raw and open again.

Naruto had tried to get Kakashi to back off. He'd tried and failed. Short of killing that former teacher, he couldn't seem to protect his favorite former teacher. So, he'd done the next best thing. He'd spent as much time with Iruka as he could manage, between missions and training.

He even invited Iruka to train with him. That was something that had really seemed to please Iruka. Naruto had always liked pleasing Iruka. As he'd gotten older and discovered a few things, he'd had to admit that he had always had a crush on the handsome, gentle man.

_How could he….with Hatake?!_ Naruto's experiences with Kakashi could never have been termed gentle. _Ugh!!!!_ Naruto shivered in revulsion at the thought of the two of them together.

"Oh, Naruto, you're early." Iruka's voice brought him out of his thoughts and he blushed profusely at just who he'd been thinking about.

"I can't train today. I have to find someone to help me with a messenger mission. The Hokage wants me to take a Jounin along as protection, while I carry the message." Iruka tapped his right temple with a slender finger, indicated that he was the message.

Naruto saw Kakashi move from where he'd been standing in the corner of the room, talking to Genma. He began sauntering up behind Iruka and Naruto knew just what was about to happen. He beat him to it. "I don't have anything on my plate right now. I'll go, if you'd like?"

"Really? You don't have any special training planned? No other mission?" Iruka beamed at him. Iruka wasn't comfortable around most of the other Jounin, so taking Naruto along was a perfect solution. He was grateful to his young friend. "Thanks, 'Ruto. That'd be great!"

Kakashi shot Naruto a look promising retribution. Naruto had been getting in his way a lot lately. Naruto in turn, smiled innocently at his 'friend' and usual mission partner.

"Oh, hi Kakashi. Enjoying your leave? Starts today? Doesn't it?" Naruto asked politely, letting Iruka know the other man was there.

Iruka stiffened and spun around on his heel. Casting a cold eye on his former lover. "Hatake." The name came out as a curse. "Naruto, meet me at the Hokage's tower, in two hours. I have to pick up some things. Please, be ready to leave from there."

Once Iruka was gone, Kakashi spoke. "A mission alone with your precious Iruka, hmm? We both know how you get on missions….." Kakashi let the last bit trail off meaningfully as he traced the edge of Naruto's waistband with one finger.

"Oh, fuck off Kakashi. Go get drunk and fuck some guy or girl or donkey, whatever gets ya' off these days." Naruto waved negligently at one of the most feared ninja in Konaho and walked away.

As he walked away, he heard Genma nearly choke on the senbon in his mouth. He was feeling pretty pleased about things. Only one thing bothered him. It was the weird little jump he'd felt 'down there', when Kakashi had spoken about him being alone with his 'precious Iruka'. There was some truth to what the man had implied.

A week later:

"Man it's humid. I'm dripping, everywhere!" Naruto tried unsuccessfully to pull his uniform shirt away from his body. The damp fabric of his clothes clung to him, every inch. "Ugh!"

Iruka glanced at his friend and couldn't help but giggle at the look on Naruto's face. Iruka hated to admit it, but he giggled like a girl. Something that in recent, well, situations had gotten him teased mercilessly by someone he was trying not to think of. _Bastard…_ It was nice to be with Naruto. Naruto was never one to tease him, much.

Naruto grinned foolishly at Iruka's giggle and threw his hands behind his head, closed his eyes, and leaned back; like he always had. Iruka should have been thinking of him the way he used to be. This movement should have brought up fond memories they had shared. Instead, Iruka's eyes were glued to Naruto's torso.

_I knew he was in good shape, but….._ The clinging shirt showed every ripple of muscle, traced every contour. Iruka was surprised at his own reaction. Naruto stretched back a little further and groaned. The shirt moved up enough to show a hint of the tanned flesh beneath. The groan affected Iruka the most. The vibration of it went straight to his groin.

Naruto heard a little choked sound, opened his eyes slightly, and peeked at Iruka. _What was…._ Just before Iruka turned away, he caught sight of it. Lust, Iruka had been looking at him, with lust in his eyes. It was a very good thing that Iruka couldn't see the huge grin that spread from ear to ear across his dear friend's face.

_Maybe, there's something more to what Kakashi had said. Maybe, that's why he was so angry about us being on this mission __alone__ together. He is good at seeing through things, and people. Maybe, just maybe, he knew it was possible for Iruka to want to be with me…. He's always known I wanted Iruka. _Kakashi had teased Naruto constantly about his crush, once Naruto had admitted he preferred guys to girls.

A happy ball of sunshine unfurled in Naruto's stomach. The humidity didn't seem so depressing anymore. "Hey, Iruka, we completed our mission ahead of schedule, right?

Iruka kept his face turned away from Naruto as they resumed walking. He was still blushing furiously. "Um, yeah, I think about five days ahead. It's a good thing we didn't run into any trouble."

"Yeah, the route you decide on was brilliant, we never even saw another person. You're good at this, ya know?!" Iruka blushed even more at the praise. It was so nice to have someone see him as something other than the stuffy Academy teacher who held little kids while they cried and wiped their noses for them. It was especially nice, when it was a jounin of Naruto's talent that complimented him.

Naruto was his friend. They'd always been close, but he wasn't the type to give anyone an undeserved compliment. "Thanks, 'Ruto."

Naruto shrugged his shoulders to indicate that Iruka didn't need to thank him for telling the truth. "Anyway, I was thinking, there's this hot spring a little way ahead, between us and the village. Maybe we could take a little time to unwind, before we finished heading back. There's a really cool waterfall and the pond below it has the coolest, cleanest water you've ever seen."

Iruka had the sudden urge to see this spring. _It can't hurt to take a little break, can it. I'm really in no hurry to get back to the village, certainly not with Kakashi on leave, lurking about. Besides, this is Naruto, he's one of my closest friends…_ "Ok, but we can't stay too long. You never know what could be happening back at the village. We may be needed."

Naruto smiled. He'd seen the little jump of excitement Iruka's shoulders had made at the mention of the spring. He'd caught sight of the way his friend had bit his lip when Naruto had mentioned the waterfall and cool clear water. Iruka liked waterfalls. He liked beautiful things, especially in nature.

_He has to pretend to lecture me about responsibility, so he doesn't look like the childish one. That's ok, 'Ruka; I'll play the childish one, so you don't have to……_ Evil thoughts followed.

Two days later, early evening:

"Ooooh. That feels soo good!" Iruka gasped as he sank into the warm water. Naruto had decided not to join him. He had begged out of it by saying he wanted to pick up the supplies for their journey home tomorrow. It was very uncharacteristic of him, giving up a hot soak and relaxation to take care of something like that. They could pick up the supplies tomorrow, as they were leaving. Iruka had told him so. Naruto had been determined.

That left Iruka soaking alone, in peace and not altogether happy about it. _Maybe I wasn't careful enough. Maybe, he caught me looking at him earlier. Oh, he looked soo good soaking in the hot water, this morning. I thought I'd only peeked, once or, errr…… I hope this hasn't damaged our friendship._

Naruto had noticed and had decided to do something about it. _Good guys shouldn't always finish last. We're both good. Why shouldn't we both have someone who will be good to us? I want him. He wants me. I can't see any way that this won't work out._

He was a little nervous as he made his purchases. He dropped the promised supplies off at the room, and headed to his true destination. A person could request the waterfall and pond, he could request private usage of them. Naruto had paid dearly for that privilege. If this went well, it was worth every coin.

A few hours later:

Iruka entered the room they were sharing and looked around. Naruto had been there. There were packages of supplies sitting against the wall, under the window. The staff had made up the twin beds, sometime that day.

Iruka saw a package sitting on the bed he'd slept in the night before. He walked over to the bed and stared at the folded piece of paper on top of the package. His name, well the nickname Naruto called him, was scrawled across it in Naruto's almost illegible handwriting.

Ruka,

I will be waiting at the waterfall. There's a map

on the other side of this. I know you've felt

something new between us. I want that. If you

want it too, meet me.

If not, then this never happened.

You're choice.

Your Ruto

Iruka's hands shook as he turned the note over and looked at the crudely drawn map. Instead of an "X" to mark the spot where Naruto would be, there was a small badly drawn heart. Tears rose unbidden in his eyes. He nodded his head to no one.

The package contained a beach blanket and a pillow. He quickly wrapped the pillow in the blanket and headed towards the heart, his heart.


End file.
